Easy to make flavorful Beef Enchilada Casserole is family friendly and perfect for weeknight dinners. Filled with burger, black beans, enchilada sauce and cheese.
Serve with a quick salad with a lemon vinaigrette, cilantro lime rice and some crunchy baked tortilla chips and you have a dinner that's sure to please!
Easy to make enchiladas
I love enchiladas and often order them when we go out to a Mexican restaurant. I also love to make them at home and my Chicken Enchiladas are a family favorite.
However, sometimes I want an easy dinner casserole that I can make ahead of time and then throw in the oven at dinner time. This easy beef enchilada casserole is perfect and delicious.
I've made this with ground burger. You can use ground beef, ground turkey or ground venison or elk. Since my freezer is full of wild game meat, that is usually my go-to choice.
Key ingredients
Ingredients
This section reviews the best ingredients and substitutions for this recipe. For an exact list of ingredients and quantities, check the recipe card below.
- Tortillas - I use white corn tortillas, but yellow corn or small flour tortillas can also be uses
- Ground burger - beef, turkey, or wild game
- Enchilada sauce - homemade or store bought. Choose mild, medium or hot sauce.
- Cheese - I use two kinds, cheddar and monterey jack
- Black beans - home canned or store bought
- Toppings - chopped tomatoes, green onions, avocado
Step by step directions
How to make it
In this section, I share step-by-step photos, cooking methods, techniques, and a general overview. For detailed instructions, temperatures, and timing, check the printable recipe card below.
- Brown burger in a saucepan over medium heat
- When burger is mostly cooked, add onions. Continue cooking until burger is cooked through and onions are soft
- Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds
- Stir in black beans and enchilada sauce. Cook for 1-2 minutes until heated through.
- Remove from heat and stir in cilantro
- Spray a 9x13" casserole dish with a nonstick spray
- Place ½ cup of enchilada sauce into bottom of dish
- Add a layer of tortillas
- Top with half the burger mixture
- Sprinkle on cheese
- Add enchilada sauce
- Repeat layers. After final sauce has been added, sprinkle with additional cheese.
- Bake in preheated 350° oven for 30-35 minutes until bubbly around the edges and heated through
- Rest for 5 minutes then top with toppings and serve
Recipe tips
- I slice the tortillas in half so they fit better in the pan. It's okay to overlap tortillas
- Bake uncovered until casserole is bubbly around the edges and heated through
- Allow casserole to rest for at least 5 minutes before serving
- Serve extra garnishes so people can add as much as they like
- Serve with sour cream and guacamole, if desired
To make ahead of time
- To make ahead of time, follow directions for assembling casserole
- Allow burger mixture to cool before adding to casserole
- After casserole is assembled, cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days
- To use, remove from refrigerator and remove covering
- Bake in 350°F oven for 45-50 minutes, until heated through
To freeze unbaked casserole
- To make ahead of time, follow directions for assembling casserole
- Allow burger mixture to cool before adding to casserole
- After casserole is assembled, cover with plastic wrap and then with foil
- Label and date casserole and place in freezer for up to 3 months
- To use, remove from freezer and allow casserole to partially thaw
- Bake in 350°F oven for 50-60 minutes, until heated through. Baking time may vary, depending on how frozen the casserole is.
Variations
- Add frozen corn to the burger mixture
- For a little more spice, add a can of roasted peppers. Drain and chop before adding to burger mixture.
- Serve with corn chips, for a bit of crunch
Frequently asked questions
Leftovers should be covered and stored in the refrigerator. They are best eaten with 3-4 days.
You want to make certain everything fits into the dish. An 8x11" dish should be able to be used as long as the dish has two inch sides.
This recipe can be divided in half and assembled into two smaller casserole dishes. Bake one for now and freeze one for later.
More delicious dinner recipes
More delicious enchilada recipes
- Green Chili Enchiladas
- Enchilada Casserole
- Quinoa Enchilada Bake
- Enchilada Soup
- Homemade Enchilada Sauce
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop
Be sure to check out all my main dish recipes!
Beef Enchilada Casserole
Ingredients
Casserole
- 1 ½ pounds ground burger (beef, turkey, venison or elk burger)
- ½ cup onion (finely chopped)
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 1 15 oz can black beans (rinsed and drained)
- 1 28 oz can enchilada sauce (divided)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro (chopped)
- 12-14 corn tortillas
- 1 ½ cups cheddar cheese (shredded)
- 1½ cups monterey jack cheese (shredded)
Toppings
- 1 small tomato (chopped)
- 1 avocado (chopped)
- 2 green onions (chopped)
- 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro (chopped)
Instructions
Casserole
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Brown burger in a saucepan over medium heat1 ½ pounds ground burger
- When burger is mostly cooked, add onions. Continue cooking until burger is cooked through and onions are soft. If using ground beef, strain off any excess grease.½ cup onion
- Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds1 clove garlic
- Stir in black beans, 1 cup of enchilada sauce and salt. Cook for 1-2 minutes until heated through.1 15 oz can black beans, 1 28 oz can enchilada sauce, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Remove from heat and stir in cilantro2 tablespoons fresh cilantro
- Spray a 9x13" casserole dish with a nonstick spray
- Place ½ cup of enchilada sauce into bottom of dish
- Add a layer of tortillas12-14 corn tortillas
- Top with half the burger mixture
- Sprinkle on ½ of the shredded cheese1 ½ cups cheddar cheese, 1½ cups monterey jack cheese
- Add enchilada sauce
- Repeat layers. After final sauce has been added, sprinkle with additional cheese.
- Bake in preheated 350° oven for 30-35 minutes until bubbly around the edges and heated through
Toppings
- Rest for 5 minutes then top with toppings and serve1 small tomato, 1 avocado, 2 green onions, 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro
Notes
- Make homemade enchilada sauce or buy store bought. Select the heat you prefer - mild, medium or hot.
- I slice the tortillas in half so they fit better in the pan. It's okay to overlap tortillas
- Bake uncovered until casserole is bubbly around the edges and heated through
- Allow casserole to rest for at least 5 minutes before serving
- Serve extra garnishes so people can add as much as they like
- Serve with sour cream and guacamole, if desired
- To make ahead of time, follow directions for assembling casserole
- Allow burger mixture to cool before adding to casserole
- After casserole is assembled, cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days
- To use, remove from refrigerator and remove covering
- Bake in 350°F oven for 45-50 minutes, until heated through
- To make ahead of time, follow directions for assembling casserole
- Allow burger mixture to cool before adding to casserole
- After casserole is assembled, cover with plastic wrap and then with foil
- Label and date casserole and place in freezer for up to 3 months
- To use, remove from freezer and allow casserole to partially thaw
- Bake in 350°F oven for 50-60 minutes, until heated through. Baking time may vary, depending on how frozen the casserole is.
Nutritional Disclaimer:
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. To obtain the most precise nutritional information in a provided recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the exact ingredients you are using when preparing the recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Valentina says
What a hearty, flavorful and comforting dish. It's what I'm now craving for dinner. The toppings are the "icing on the cake" and make it so pretty. 🙂 ~Valentina
Kathy says
Totally need all the yummy toppings!